COEUR d’ALENE — There isn’t much that Steven Sanchez and his family miss about living in San Diego.

Except for the tacos.

“That’s what we miss the most,” Sanchez said. “Everything else can stay in San Diego.”

Sanchez, the owner of Cultura CDA, started out in the local business scene by selling agua frescas at the Wednesday farmers market in 2021. After experimenting to find the perfect flavor profile, tacos al pastor were introduced in 2022.

“They were crazy well received,” Sanchez recalled.

The earnings that resulted from the popularity of the tacos allowed Sanchez to build out Cultura’s taco trailer, which started out in the parking lot of Silver Lake Mall before joining East Sherman Food Trucks at 2002 E. Sherman Ave.

Now, with support from the community, Cultura is embarking on its next chapter: opening its first brick-and-mortar location at U.S. 95 and Nieder Avenue, in the former Giorgi’s building.

“It seems like it’s the right time to move forward with what we really want to bring to the community,” Sanchez said.

The new location will offer an expanded menu including baja fish tacos, breakfast tacos, Sonoran hot dogs, Micheladas and beef tacos in addition to the al pastor.  

Currently, the taco trailer offers tacos al pastor, street corn, agua frescas, breakfast burritos and burros (bite sized churros).  

“We want to create a cool environment that’s different than what North Idaho has seen,” Sanchez said. “To really elevate that, we need to have a physical spot.”  

Eventually, Sanchez envisions a few additional Cultura locations around Coeur d’Alene — but for now, he and the Cultura family will focus on perfecting their flagship location.  

“It’ll be a slice of San Diego,” said Sanchez’s wife, Danni.  

An opening day for for their flagship location has not yet been scheduled. Follow Cultura CDA on social media for updates.

Now the TidBits

New and Upcoming

• An ice cream shop called Cone Crossing is now open at 8122 W. Main St. in Rathdrum. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. daily.

• Corhaven Properties has announced plans for a spec retail building at the shopping center at Highway 41 and Poleline Avenue. The upcoming phase of development will feature four retail units ranging from 1,500 to 1,800 square feet, including a high-demand drive-thru end cap, and should be completed sometime in 2026. The shopping center is anchored by Grocery Outlet and 7-Eleven, with a new McDonald's restaurant opening sometime in the first half of 2026. For leasing inquiries, contact Jeff Ottmar with NAI Black.

• National sandwich chain Jersey Mike's is coming to two locations in North Idaho. One is in development for 9627 N. Government Way, Suite 1 in Hayden, while the other will be at U.S. 95 and Nieder Avenue in Coeur d'Alene. Other national retailers have applied for site development at 201 Neider Ave., including Raising Cane's, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Sleep Number.

• Andrew and Ashley Lee have launched The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Inland Northwest, serving Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Combining craftsmanship and care, they offer high-quality gutter installation, maintenance and protection services backed by a trusted national franchise. For service inquiries, visit inland-northwest.brothersgutters.com or call 509-590-1009. Follow them on Instagram @brothersgutters.inlandnw or Facebook at facebook.com/brothersguttersinlandnw.

• A pinball hall, called Big Flipper, will open soon at 312 E. Annie Ave. in Coeur d'Alene. Featuring 20+ pinball machines spanning several decades, classic arcade games, two Skee-Ball lanes and a curated food and beverage menu, Big Flipper will have something for "a casual player, a competitive flipper or for those just in it for the nostalgia." Follow @BigFlipperCDA on Instagram for more information; an opening date has not yet been announced.

• The team behind Union Roasters has opened Blvd. Doughnut Co. at 1515 Northwest Blvd. in Coeur d'Alene. Doughnuts are made from scratch daily, and the shop also offers a full Union Roasters coffee menu. Blvd. Doughnut Co. opens at 6 a.m. daily.

• D1 Training is a new fitness center at 8632 N. Government Way. The facility offers four age-based training programs, and group, semi-private and one-on-one training with world-class coaches. D1 Training has more than 100 locations nationwide; for more information on the Coeur d'Alene location, visit https://www.d1training.com/cda/. 

• Tandoori Grill will be opening a brick-and-mortar location at Lakeside Avenue and Second Street in Coeur d'Alene. The restaurant, which offers a variety of Indian dishes, currently operates a food truck at 7415 N. Government Way and at the Food Truck Pavilion at 30440 N. Old Highway 95 in Athol. No word yet on an opening date.

Ongoing Projects

• Bricks & Minifigs, an authorized LEGO® retailer, will be opening next to the entrance of Fred Meyer in Coeur d'Alene at 560 W. Kathleen Ave., Unit No. 2. Its motto is “Rebuild, Reuse, Reimagine,” and the store specializes in buying, selling and trading everything LEGO — from complete sets to collectible minifigures, including a build-your-own minifig station. Follow on social media for updates and announcements on the opening, which is aimed for the fall. 

• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will be opening soon at 306 N. Spokane St. in Post Falls. The new restaurant will offer dine-in service, carryout, online ordering, delivery and full-service catering. Dickey's is finalizing plans for the grand opening celebration, which will include special promotions, giveaways and family-friendly activities. More details, including the official opening date, are expected in the coming weeks. 

• A new pizza joint, Piccolo Pizza, is coming soon to Post Falls in the Millworx mixed-use development space on Fourth Street.

• Another 7-Eleven is coming to Post Falls; this one is planned for the southeast corner of Pleasant View Road and Seltice Way.

• A locally owned doughnut shop, Lantern Donuts, should open in downtown Coeur d'Alene this summer at 519 E. Sherman Ave.

• With many options for food and beverages in an elevated space, Rooted Social House is eyeing an opening sometime this year at 310 N. Spokane St. in Post Falls.

• An O'Reilly Auto Parts store is being constructed on the northeast corner of Seltice Way and Pleasant View Road in Post Falls.

• Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers is eyeing a September opening for its proposed location at 498 Beck Road in Post Falls.

• Work has gotten underway on Northwest Boulevard between Emma Avenue and West Davidson Avenue, where a four-story Residence Inn has been proposed by CDA Hotel Inc.

• Idaho Central Credit Union, or ICCU, will open a branch location in Rathdrum. More details to come once construction gets underway.

• A 7-Eleven is taking the place of the former Wells Fargo building at Government Way and Appleway Avenue.

• Work is underway on the new Local Market building at Highway 41 and Hope Road in Post Falls. Another new Local Market is planned for Best Avenue and 15th Street in Coeur d'Alene. Both markets will have an emphasis on produce, fresh flowers, coffee and products sourced from local vendors in addition to fresh-made deli sandwiches, pastry bars and premium espresso coffees with drive-throughs. They will also include gas and electric car charging.  

• A Marriott Hotel is under construction on about a half-acre at 602 and 612 E. Sherman Ave. The six-story hotel will include 131 guest rooms, 130 parking stalls on the main level and three levels underground, an administration area, a bar, kitchen, lounge, dining area, meeting area, laundry, fitness room and a rooftop patio bar.

• A four-story 151-room Hyatt Place Hotel is under construction for the Millworx development on Fourth Avenue in Post Falls.  

• Prime IV Hydration & Wellness is opening sometime in 2025 in Ironwood Square.

Real Estate Opportunities

• Spaces within Marketplace@Miles, a new vendor mall at 10374 North Government Way in Hayden, are still available for retail vendors, with additional onsite storage offered. Info: Commercial Real Estate Consultants at 208-691-5328 and www.marketplaceatmiles.com. 

• Heritage Square, a new shopping center at U.S. 95 and Wilbur Avenue, has remaining suites available ranging from 1,600 to 6,000 square feet. For inquiries regarding the remaining retail spaces, contact Pat Eberlin at [email protected]. 

• Retail spaces are still available within the new Early Dawn Commercial Center at 4129 E. Early Dawn Ave. in Post Falls. Anyone interested in remaining commercial spaces should contact Danny Davis of TOKcommercial.com (208-691-6003).

• 2,500 square feet of medical grade office space is available in the recently completed Kootenai Vision Center building located at 3914 E. Early Dawn Ave. in Post Falls. Tenants in the complex include a physical therapy clinic, an optometry office, and one additional building lot. NNN leases starting at $24/square foot. For more information call 208-660-4864. 

• A new flex tech space is available in the Huetter Business Center at 4077 N. Huetter Road in Post Falls. It is adjacent to Interstate 90 with high visibility, including a reader board visible to an average of 65,000 vehicles per day. Size is 8,671 square feet, asking $1.25/square foot/month plus expenses. Contact Jeffrey Simonds with Caldwell Banker Commercial Schneidmiller Realty at 208-518-8860.

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Have a tip on happenings in the local business world? Contact Hailey Hill at [email protected].

    Tacos al pastor have made Cultura CDA a popular spot in downtown Coeur d'Alene.